Coastal Blog
August 2012
August 31 2012
Doheny - The Plot Thickens
As practically any surfer in southern California knows, there has been a long-running problem with poor water quality at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point. Doheny has made NRDC's "Beach Bummer" list for several years straight and routinely gets Ds or Fs on Heal the Bay's Beach Report Card. Despite…
August 28 2012
Press Conference on the Jersey Shore
Original BEACH bill sponsors Senator Lautenberg and Representative Frank Pallone held a press event on the boardwalk to bring attention to the importance of beaches in supporting jobs and a huge tourism economy in New Jersey. They are continuing their fight to restore funding for beach water testing programs throughout…
August 27 2012
Last Call for California
Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans Expanded Polystyrene Foam
LAST CALL for Californians to take action on supporting two important plastic reduction bills before the legislative session ends on Friday. SB 568 would phase out expanded polystyrene foam foodware statewide and AB 298 would ban plastic checkout bags statewide. These are two of the most prolific litter items found…
August 24 2012
The (r)evolution of the Blue Water Task Force
At the inception of the Blue Water Task Force, Surfrider Chapters were often the only source of water quality information in many localities. As state monitoring programs became more robust, the BWTF began pursuing other goals such as education and pollution identification. With federal funding for beach monitoring programs on…
August 23 2012
LA Unified and Jamba Juice Ditch Expanded Polystyrene Foam!!
Rise Above Plastics Expanded Polystyrene Foam
Two major announcements lately show the public demand to ditch expanded polystyrene foam is stronger than ever! A determined ten-year old has convinced Jamba Juice to replace their foam cups with more sustainable ones and determined students at an LA area middle school convinced the entire district to ditch the…
August 23 2012
Bring The Bag Campaign Hits The Beach!
Promoting the use of reusable bags in Texas and beyond, the Surfrider Foundation Galveston Chapter recently gave away approximately 600 reusable bags! During the day they created a Bag Monster from single use plastic bags they obtained from the public along the seawall and beach.
August 22 2012
Will California Reduce Plastic Pollution?
Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans Expanded Polystyrene Foam
There are just nine days left in the California legislative session, which means just nine days left for bills to be passed before going to the Governor for final approval. Two groundbreaking plastic pollution reduction bills are weaving through the Capitol in Sacramento and need your support to pass! It's…
August 20 2012
Plastic Problems Under The Surface
If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? Yes. If litter sinks to the seafloor is it still marine debris? Of course it is. Many people simply look at the shoreline or glance at the water's surface to determine how clean a beach or other marine…
August 17 2012
Surfrider Joins Congressman Waxman to Release Report on Congress’s Coastal Voting Record
Know Your H20 Wastewater Ocean Ecosystems Water Quality
Congressman Waxman is one of the most influential members of congress and has rightly earned his reputation as being a mover and shaker. He likes to investigate and uncover issues (just Google his name). So when Surfrider was invited to participate in a press conference with the Congressman to release…
August 17 2012
The Ocean Health Index
Can the health of our global ocean be summed up in one number? How can we begin to prioritize both the threats our oceans face and the necessary remedial measures? Founded by Conservation International, the National Geographic Society, and The New England Aquarium, the Ocean Health Index is an innovative…
August 13 2012
Beach Driving: Part 2
Beach Access Coastal Preservation Legal
Beach driving not only involves ecological considerations; it also involves beach access and freedom to enjoy coastal resources. This blog explores how beach driving has shaped the law and, in turn, how the law has responded to beach driving.
August 10 2012
New Report Validates Know Your H2O
Know Your H20 Low Impact Development Water Recycling
An international team of researchers from University of California Irvine, University of Melbourne, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other institutions just published a report which will appear in a special Aug. 10 issue of the journal Science. The report, Taking the “Waste” Out of “Wastewater” for Human Water Security and…
August 07 2012
Sick at the Beach: The Ocean Illness Reporting Tool
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality Illness
Have you ever gotten sick after visiting the beach? Now there’s a place to share your story and see where others are getting sick.
August 07 2012
The Many Ways to Save the Gaviota Coast
Recently, a court denied the Santa Barbara Chapter’s efforts to stop a development agreement, but this by no means will stop the Chapter’s efforts and full-fledged campaign to preserve the coast.
August 07 2012
Oregon Marine Debris Team Partnership Launched
Rise Above Plastics Tsunami Debris
Spurred by a need to educate, activate and engage citizens in Japanese tsunami marine debris work in Oregon, Surfrider Foundation chapters in the region have officially partnered with other NGOs and academic groups to form the Oregon Marine Debris Team partnership and initiative.
August 06 2012
Surfrider Activists Join Hands to Say No to Offshore Drilling
Thousands of participants, including hundreds of Surfrider Foundation activists, turned out on August 4th for over 200 Hands Across the Sand events held across the country and around the world.
August 03 2012
Beach Driving: Part 1
Beach Access Coastal Preservation
This is part 1 of a 3-part blog series that explores issues related to beach driving through several case studies as well as by highlighting impacts that can occur even in places that do not allow public beach driving.
